Lockable caster assembly



Sept. 26,1939. F. w. PARKHILL- LocKABLE cAsTER AssEMBL'fi Filed Feb. 14, V1938 Patented Sept. 26, 1939 LocxanLEcAsrEn ASSEMBLY Frederic W. Parkhill, KansasCity, Mo., assigner of one-fourth to B. and oncurth to Walter E. Ludwig, both of'Kansas City,

OFFICE Application February 14, 19318, Serial No. l90,480

'zr can (ci 1s-21) This invention relates to lockable caster assemblies in the nature of those adapted to be attached to articles of vfurniture or the like, which are provided-with cavities in the legs or pedestals I' thereof, which cavities receive a portion of the caster assembly for th purpose 0f securing the same in place.

One of the important Vaims of this invention is to provide a caster assembly of the aforemen- I tioned character which. has novel and specially constructed expanding elements thereon for engaging the inner surface of a receiving cavity; that has a ball and ball holder pivotally carrier by that portion of the caster assembly projecting from the aforesaid cavity; and which has spe' eially formed means between the aforesaid holder and the expanding elements for moving the latter to and from an operative position without disassembling the caster. v N 'A yet further aim of the instant invention is the provision of a caster assembly which is adapted to receive and opera support a selected character of iloorengaging element. said element be' ing, for example in the form of s ball, or a wheel -said floorA engaging elements having nozbearing upon the specific structure of the remaining parts of the caster assembly and each being attachable to the pintle thereof during manufacture without altering the pintle. l0 A still further object of this invention is to provide a caster assembly ofthe aforementioned type which is susceptible of cheaply manufactured; that is strong and durable during use; and which contains no parts likely to get out of order 8 or to become inoperative through prolonged and hard usage.

A large number of minor objects will appear during the course of the following specincation. referring to the-accompanying drawing wherein 4Q but two of the specific forms of the invention are illustrated and wherein', Figure 1 is a side elevation of a caster assembly embodying the .present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional .View 4l through the said assembly taken on line II-II of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view through the assembly taken on line III-'III of lig. 2; and.- Pig. 4 is a side elevation of a caster assembly lo showing another type of door engaging element thereon,` parts being broken away to reveal certain structural fea It is well-known in this art that caster assemblies having various types of expanders have been Fused for engagingtheinner faces offurniturelegs relation, cap I4 or pedestals that are.

provided with cavities. In

most of the commonly used caster assemblies, the anchoring elements therein become vloosened and therefore, fail after being subjected to hard use:v and it is virtually impossible to adjust the caster so that it will remain in normal position.

-Special tools are placing these casters,

also oftentimes necessary in all of which creates an obiectionable feature that a caster embodying this invention will overcome.

Without regard to size and materials., and bearing in mind that the specific nature of the parts described might be different in physical form, atv tention is now drawn wherein the numeral l estal voi any article to a cavity l therein for portion of the caster of leg i forms a tube section and'therefore, curing means, must contour. Obviously, parts and cavity l desire of the maker.

Pintle I0 is provided along a portion of its idly secured .thereto to Figs. l yto 3 inclusive designates the leg or pedbe supported, which leg has the reception of .the upper assembly. The inner face circular in transverse cross the parts forming the sebe made to conform to this the relation of the securing might be altered to suit'the with screw threads I2 length and has a cap I 4 rig'- intermediate its ends and close to what is normally the lowerl end of the pintle. -The perforation I6 in cap I4 receives pin` cured in place.

the two lparts are in the desiredV may be welded or otherwise se- Aril annular wall I I is formed by offsetting cap I4 and its outer annularedge is provided with a depending A holder 22 having is pivotally mounted flange 2l.

a boss 2l integral therewith upon the lower end of pintle lll. Boss 24 has a bore 26 therethrough to receive the lower end; otfpintle .Il and after the pintle has been moved position, the same is riveted or otherwise spread as at 2l to secure a washer 20 lace inl)

.- 'A flanged plate V32 having a planar surface occupies a positionl in the bottom of cup shaped holder 22 and ail'ords a cavity 2l to house the riveted portion 28 of pintle Thus. when ballv Il is in spherical 24, which Il and washer 20;

place in holder 22, the surface thereof engages planar surface is always disposed in aplan'e the outer spherical surface of ball 4I.

ginal annular edge l2 of holder 22 is wardly and terminates slightly below a tangent to The mararched inhorizontal plane passing lthrough the center of ball 40.

Thus, ball 4l cannot be 22'and it is retained in surface in close proximit withdrawn from holder place with its spherical to planar surface 2l.

-V threaded bore 52 engagement with pintle An annular ball race Il is provided on lthe upper side of the inner' wall of holder 22 for the `reception of a plurality of anti-friction balls L thereof is circumscribedy by annular wall` i8 of' capil.'V Balls 48 lies between cap it and wall I! and through this particular construction, there isprovided a rigid assembly which will not giveway when the caster is p ut to hard'us'e,

The inner screw threaded portion element isconical in formv and has a screw extending therethrough 'at itsmajor axis. Expander 50 is' in-'screw threaded il and will move lungi-'- tudinally therealong as the pintle is rotated;

A radially extended lugv ll integral with expander il, extends between two of the segmental jaws Il that are associated with expander 6 0 in a special manner. In'the instant shown, jaws 56 are held against expander l0 by a spring B8 v .which rests -in groovesV I0 formed-inwardly from the outer arcuate surfaces of the jaws.` Four jaws 58 are provided and the inner inclined faces E: thereof, lie against the outer-face of element Ashoulder 04 on each jaw lil respectively, rests upon cap itin the manner shown in Fig. 2 so that a minimum amount of friction is presented even though the jaws 56 are all amply supported. As elementlll is moved downwardly along pintle Ill, shoulders 84 against cap I4, insure that jaws 18 will move radially only. i

Annular flange 2t of cap il may be knurled as shown in Pig. 1 so as toafford a grip for the operator and when I0 is rotated, jaws I8 will be definitely forced out against the inner surface of leg 6 so as to secure the caster assembly in place. After this securement has occurred, holder 22, bos's 24 and ball 4I will rotatetogether about the axis ofpintle I0. Ball 4l is free to move about its center Ain any direction while it is being retained by holder 22 and therefore, the caster assembly will serve its purpose most eillciently.

Caster assemblies having. different types of floor engaging elements may be used without changing the structure above described. As an example of this advantage, Fig. 4 illustrates a wheel B6 mounted inyoke I O'by the transverse axle 10.

While this form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the specific details so disclosed, are for' the prir-A pose'of teaching the principles only, and it is desiredtherefore, to be limited merely. by the spirit Vofthe .invention and scope .of the appended claims. Having thus described the claimed as new and desired to be secured by Let'- ters Patent is:

, 1. Ima-caster assembly 'of the character^de scribed, a pintle adapted to secure the caster in operative' position; asubstantially cup 'shaped holder-having an opening therein to receive one end of the pintle at the bottom thereof opposite its v'open side, said holder having its axis in alignment with the axis of said pintle; a hanged plate in the holder to cover the one .end of the pintle' and to present a smooth face in the lower portion of the holder; means on the end of the pintle for the pintle and holder together; and a of pintle` III. carries an expander element 5l.' This expander rotation within the, holder-having telescoped tubular portionsfthereof f,

this capffand therefore pintle invention, what is bon mounted for free rotation within tho homer in frictional contact with the smooth face of the plate, the flanges 'of said plate serving to hold the platein spaced relation to the end of the pintle and said securing means.

2. In a caster assembly'of the4 character described, a pintle; a cap inspaced relation to oneend thereof; meansbetween the cap and the*- otherendet the pintle for. securing the caster in operative position', a Acup shaped `holder-pivotallxr secured-to thepintle -between saidcap and the capl and the. holder; and a holder said c'ap andthe circumscribi'ng the pintle and ilat opposed por- 3.1In a caster assemblyofthe' character de#- secured tothe pintle between said cap and the first mentioned one end thereof; a plurality of ball mounted for free l5' tions' forming the portions thereof between which the anti-friction members areA disposed. n

. other end of the pintle for securing the caster in.

-operative position; a cup vshaped holder .pivotally anti-frictionmembers between a portion yof said cap and a partoof the holder; and a ball mounted for free rotation within the holder, said holder having a boss provided witlia bore to receive the pintle, said cap having an annular -wall circumscribing a portion of said boss and in close proximity therewith to said anti-friction members being in a continuous path around the other portion of said boss to re-` ceive the load.

4. In a caster assembly of the character described, Ia pintle; a cap in spacedl relation to one prevent lateral displacement,v

end thereof; means between 'thejcap and the other end of the pintle for securing the caster in operative position; a cup shaped holder'pivotally secured to the pintle between said cap and the first vmentioned one endthereof; ya plurality of anti-friction members said cap and a part of the load; and a ball mounted for free rotation within the holder, said holder havingfa boss provided with a bore to receive the pintle, said cap having an annular wall -eircumscribing a portion of said boss and in close proximity, therewith to prevent lateral displacement, said holder having a ball race on the face thereof around the said boss and and opposed to said cip, said anti-frictional members being within said race and maintained therein by s'aid' cap.

5. In a caster assem ly of the character described, apintle; a cap in spaced-relation to one end' thereof; means between the capand the other end of the lpintle forsecuring the easter in operative position; a cup shaped holderpivotally secured to the pintle between said cap andthe between a portion yo f, holder to receive the first mentioned one end thereof; a plurality of anti-friction members between said cap and the holder; and a ball mounted for free rotation within the holder,'saidcap' being rigid to the pintle for rotation therewithand'providedwith an annular wall circumscribinga portion vof the pintle, said cap having a perforated boss integralv therewith for receiving the pintle, said bossihaving a portion thereof extending between the an 'I0 nular wall and the pintle, said anti-friction menig a substantially cuphaving a flat inner surface at the bottom thereof opposite its open side, the annular side wall of said holder having an inturned marginal portion at the edge thereof embracing the ball and serving to hold the spherical surface of the ball in close proximity to the said flat bottom of the holder whereby the latter is disposed tangently to the spherical surface when the caster is in the normalposition; a boss on said holder provided with a bore to receive the pintle whereby the holder is carried foi-rotation about its axis; a cap rigidly secured tothe pintle having an annular wall circumscribing va portion of the boss; and anti-friction members between aportion of the cap and the bottom oi said holder, said cap having a continuous depending flange circumscribing the anti-friction members.

7. In a caster assembly of the character de- 4 scribed, a pintlel adapted forentrance intothe cavity at. the' bottom of a depending load-carrying pedestal; a holder for a floor-engaging member pivotally carried by said pintle; a cap secured to said pintle between said holder and the pedestal in spaced relation to the holder; and a pluraiityof anti-friction members between the cap and said holder to receive the load, said holder having an upwardly extending boss'circumscribed by the anti-friction members and circumscribing an appreciable amountfof the length of the pintle, said cap having an annular wall circumscribing a portion of the boss and an annular dependingl ilange clrcumscribing the anti-friction members and bridging the space between the cap and said holder.

n FREDERIC' W. PARKHJLL. 

